L.A.'s Arizona boycott over illegal immigration faces another exemption. Is the boycott working?

For the second time, the L.A. City Council will consider an exemption from the boycott of Arizona it has imposed because of that state's crackdown on illegal immigration. The council will consider whether to continue contracting with Super Shuttle, the airport transit service, which has its corporate base in Arizona.

In June, Los Angeles' red-light camera program was temporarily exempted from the city's contracting boycott of Arizona.

City Council members, noting that the Los Angeles Police Department backs the photo-enforcement program as a public safety matter, voted, 13-0, to extend a multimillion-dollar agreement with Scottsdale-based American Traffic Solutions.

Earlier in June, the council and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa agreed to halt most travel and contracting with Arizona after the state adopted a law requiring police to check the immigration status of anyone they stop and suspect of being in the country illegally.

Today, the council is to discuss whether to allow a $1.13-million, one-year contract extension for Scottsdale-based Blue Van Joint Venture, operator of Super Shuttle, which serves Los Angeles International Airport, according to City News Service.

What do you think of the boycott? Share your views below.

Photo: Protest in Arizona over immigration crackdown. Credit: Associated Press

Comments

[WeAreChangeLATim]

"In June, Los Angeles' red-light camera program was temporarily exempted from the city's contracting boycott of Arizona."

How much of our tax money is being outsourced to Arizona in this time of poor economy in Los Angeles with this red-light camera program when it's feasible to pay police officers and keep the taxes in Los Angeles?

Hint on beating the red-light Cam...legally: When you do go to court for blowing a red light, demand that you have the officer appear before you in court. If the D.A. says he or she is representing the plaintiff, tell them that you want the person who chose the photo from the machine in Arizona that determined that you broke the law and their professional opinion, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.

To wit (as quoted in part from the 6th Amendment):

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.*

The people had more than enough time to bring the accuser to the court. And because you have a right to question their accuser and not their representatives, you will win. Another reason why L.A. should cancel their red-light contract with Arizona.

[Pedro Gambino-Gotti]

I've heard the boycott has practically ruined Arizona. NOT! Don't these maroons have anything better to do than pander to a vocal minority. Si Se Puede!!! Viva Arizona!!!

[Mark]

I am not voting for anyone on the current council again. Boycotting a neighboring state? How childish could they be? Are they looking for a civil war on immigration? Are we going to secede from the Union over this?

Arizona and it's voters have as much right to do with their state as we do with ours. We can campaign and do our best to influence their coming elections, we can petition the federal government to take action against Arizona, we can make a public declaration that we disagree with their rule, but Boycotting our neighbor? Are we going to start cutting down the trees on Arizona land along our common border cause they hang over too much?

This boycott is petty and I expect better from our the people I pay my city tax dollars to, and they'll know it in the next election.

[Norm SilverNorm Silver]

Once we found out a boycott against Arizona was beibng organized we reconfigured our family of six two week vacation and then spent all six weeks in Arizona tro show our support for their businesses and the courage of the Arizona majority . The trip was enjoyable and we were well treated anywhere we did go. We were even recruited once to be a Demonstrator in front of the Capitol building and were offered a meal as a reward. We respectfully declined. As we walked through the Demonstrator staging area all of the conversation we heard was conducted in Spanish. BUT we'll be back to Arizona at Christmas season again.

[jopsjennings]

The boycott comes across as impotent ceremonial feel-good legislation -- it was never intended to have an actual impact on anything, so why not create a large list of exceptions?

[hypatia]

In a word, no.

[Rose]

I think a lot of things in this country need fixing. Starting with politics!Politicians use any means at their disposal to gain popularity. We do desperately need immigration reform. I think the middle class working people are kind, considerate and ready to lend a hand...We cannot keep supporting illegals, it is not the people who are trying to become citizens we oppose, it is the crime and drain on our country we oppose. Stop it at the border!

[planetnymph]

I say boycott LA for supporting illegal activity to run rampant throughout the city, creating crime, traffic problems, you name it...how many illegals is L.A. harboring anyway? 3 or 4 million, probably more? Where do you get your water from to handle this unaccounted for sub-population? Who's paying the tab on the anchor babies? Too many questions, not enough answers. BOYCOTT LOS ANGELES

[syscom3]

Let me know when the Arizona boycott is over, so I can stop my boycott of LA.

[jb]

When will L.A. boycott the water that comes from Arizona? Probably when Villaraigosa stops pandering to his homies, refuses expensive gifts and quits hooking up with attractive reporters. In other words, never. L.A. and Bell are painfully close in their political motivations.

[mike]

There is a reason that people in the rest of the country call LA the land of fruits and nuts.
And it has nothing to do with agriculture

[yoga2010]

I just spent three days in Arizona. What a great place! Friendly people, great tourist attractions, low tax rates, no Los Angeles politicians ripping off the public and distracting their constituents with ridiculous boycotts.

Now I'm back home and boycotting the city of LA.

[Maggie]

Have you been to LA lately? Have you listened to their Mayor? LA belongs to the illegals - just the way they want it and just the way planned for Arizona but Arizona had the guts to say "no more."

If progressives want illegals here, have Obama pass a law that allows for workers permits and make that law require for each worker they must be financially sponsored by an American. I'm assuming that the progressives won't have a problem signing up to sponsor a person who wants to work here. Done deal, few would have a problem with this.

What is a problem is that the progressives want all tax payers to pay out the nose for everyone world wide. This minimizes their own tax contribution as it is spread around to all tax payers. Go ahead Obama, introduce a bill that allows one each illegal to stay if one each progressive puts 20k in an account to pay for educational, medical, housing etc if the illgal then cannot provide those funds for themselves.

There isn't enough room for me to list, as an American and as a small business owner, the fees, stated fines, threats to take my personal property, identificaton requirements, documents, etc that it takes for me to remain an American in good standing.

My grandson just got fined $300.00 for jay walking. That's $300.00 more than the progressives feel an illegal should pay for stealing into America, taking jobs, having children they cannot support, stealing identities, consuming property, diving without a license and on it goes.

What's wrong with this picture?

[michael g]

Los Angeles, the once vaunted mecca where I was born, that was filled with so much hope and glamour and promise, has become a pathetic dark shell of its former self-- a pitful laughing stock to all intelligent individuals who value freedom and the rule of law. Thank you Democratic/Liberal City Council, thank you Mayor Villa-whatever-your-name-is this week, thank you pandering news media for accomplishing the trashing of the life and reputation of a once great city. Viva Arizona!!

[Ruby Jackson]

This is a perfect example of why the boycott was a pandering, knee-jerk reaction by our City Council. They did not put one moment of thought or research into the ramifications of 'boycotting' Arizona.

Super Shuttle is a vital and important business in Los Angeles. Super Shuttle is important to tourism and transportation. Boycotting Super Shuttle would have a devestating effect on Los Angeles, but the bozos sitting in City Hall never thought about that. Some leaders.

[Heather]

They aren't really hurting the law makers in Arizona by boycotting the state. They are hurting the residents, who might I add are a good portion Mexican-American.

[Arizona]

I'm now living in a cardboard box. My wife and kids left me. I just lost my job as a tester at the Taser factory. Please, LA! Please stop! Oh the humanity! How can you do this to your own people!?

[Jim B]

What boycott? The only talk of boycott is coming from the illegals themselves and a few illegal sanctuary cities in California. Have they not noticed that the rest of the country is busy boycotting all products from California?

[Chris]

There is a reason reasonable people and companies are fleeing California. The morons who run parts of California are literally destroying the economy of the state. By purposefully avoiding federal laws, raising taxes, writing absurd state laws they are driving away businesses and reasonable citizens.

I would recommend folks in L.A. stand up to this idiotic city council, find a way to turn things around if it's not too late. I don't know if the entire city is dependent on the government for their income outside of Hollywood.

Good Luck California

Chris in Austin, TX - One of the last free states

[Californian]

The whole boycott is a joke. It's one thing for a government agency - or individual - to condemn AZ for what MIGHT become a bad racial profiling activity. Arizona's SB1070 & subsequent HB2162 clean-up bills certainly do seem like they could lead to that, but the whole of this is in the implementation. To boycott businesses based in the state, who had nothing to do with the bill, is ludicrous, and is, in fact, hurting people who don't live in AZ a lot more than those who do. Companies like Super Shuttle, U-Haul, Cold Stone Creamery, PF Changs, Panera Bread, etc., have employees or franchisees who live & work in LA, San Francisco, Oakland, etc. Why punish them just because they work for a company headquartered in AZ. It's just plain stupid. And the boycotting of travel to conferences, etc., in AZ? Doesn't that hurt the very people that the protesters are trying to protect: the restaurant, hotel & other service workers, many who are immigrants? Just plain dumb. When you have an emotional response to something, you've got to use your head before you act, otherwise innocent people get hurt. Bad move, LA.

[brian]

Once again the politicians in LA are pandering to the latino demographic. Arizona is just enforcing a federal law not creating a racist law. Last time I checked an illegal immigrant can be white, black, brown etc. We all know that their are illegals from China, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Egypt, Russia, England, France etc. Tell me how this law is racist and how enforcing the law is racist. I was asked for proof of citizen ship when getting a drivers license and when getting a social security card, so does that mean those laws are racist? LA you need to leave Arizona alone and pay attention to your own problems.

[JPS]

We should bring Arizona's law SB1070 right here so these LACC traitors would boycott themselves and deport themselves back to their beloved Mexico
Jan Brewer for Los Angeles Mayor!

[inbox1909]

Our city council and Mayor have to be the most incompetent and useless in the nation. Spending valuable time on symbolic votes that mean nothing, milking wealthy donors for free tickets, issuing proclamations for mexican pop stars, who in their right mind would vote for these clowns? I'll tell you who.... follow the money. If the people of LA were apathetic about voting before, now is the time to wake up. From the Mayor on down, vote these people out.

[Nowell]

The boycott against Arizona is the best way to handle such discriminating state. Arizona hasn't really given us the real statistics of whose making the criminal acts they're describing. Such as, are criminals majority illegals or majority citizens?
I spent 8 months in Scottsdale and the 5 star hotel in Camelback Rd. hires plenty of illegal aliens for their night shift. This type of criminal act is known to all but NO actions against this 5 star hotel. Mmmmm, interesting. Could money be involved? Mmmmm, interesting.
It's hard not to think that police and immigration officers do NOT raid such crime lords. Majority of hotels hires illegal aliens to do the dirty work in night shift.

I'm a citizen and I will NOT work for $5.00 an hour. Illegal aliens will.

[just someone]

Yeah, let's boycott a state for making sure the law is followed.. That's great.. We can all boycott colorado for writing speeding tickets too, or nevada for punishing someone for stealing.. Lame..